You're clearly just being obnoxious on this subject. Ok, that's fine. We can all agree that the core spirit of the show is east-Asian. The culture, ideas, and arts that form the show are east-Asian in origin. You say that it's a fictional world with fictional races, but come on now, it's pretty clear what the influence is. Why are there no east-Asians in the film? What they're basically saying with the casting choices is that the culture, ideas and arts are not Asian, they're white. like everything else in their bubble. Also, Zuko was meant to be played by Jesse McCartney. It was only changed to Dev Patel because of the criticism as a token non-white.

Gene Yang says it best - "It's like a white Asian fetishist's wet dream. All the Asian culture they want, without any of the Asian people."

Yeah, you better believe I have a chip on my shoulder about this stuff. I've made my feelings clear on the subject throughout this entire topic. This is the manifestation of white privilege that many people pretend to be oblivious to. White people in particular can be so blind to it, it's so pervasive that they really do believe it really is only another movie, another TV show, comic, whatever, completely unrelated to each other. There are never any repercussions and consistently now it is Asians getting crushed under this jackboot.

What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons. You're born alone and you die alone and this world just drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts. But I never forget. I'm living like there's no tomorrow, because there isn't one.

I was not and am not being obnoxious. I'm perfectly serious. I usually agree with everything you post, but I think you've gone completely insane over this.

There isn't a single person in the world who would think Asian culture, ideas, and arts, are "white" because white actors portray the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender in an American live-action movie. Address my point: many characters in the show are clearly of fictional races, and most are designed to look Caucasian anyway, with big round light-coloured eyes. Others look more Asian, others are obviously supposed to be Asian. Regardless, the film makers have a subject not at all bound to the racial-cultural organization of the real world.

I don't even understand Gene Yang's quote at all, especially without context. The old Chinese master, the Asian princess, etc. are the stereotypes of so-called "Asian fetishists," not Europeans dressed in Chinese costumes. Even if such people do prefer to imagine Europeans in Asian costumes, so what? There's nothing wrong with that. It's normal. There's no hatred or sense of superiority in the emulation of an admired foreign culture. The Avatar is set in a fictional world inspired by East Asian culture, as opposed to a historical world. Actors in historical fiction American movies are almost always played by racially appropriate characters when possible, especially today. Are you also critical of Asian television shows or movies based on Western fiction rooted in Western culture that star Asian actors in roles originally meant for whites? That certainly wouldn't offend any normal person. It doesn't bother me. Why should it? It's absolutely silly to read hatred into the production of a fantasy movie or any movie for that matter; it's absolutely silly to attach so much importance or hidden meaning to a movie.

Avon Barksdale wrote:Yeah, you better believe I have a chip on my shoulder about this stuff. I've made my feelings clear on the subject throughout this entire topic. This is the manifestation of white privilege that many people pretend to be oblivious to. White people in particular can be so blind to it, it's so pervasive that they really do believe it really is only another movie, another TV show, comic, whatever, completely unrelated to each other. There are never any repercussions and consistently now it is Asians getting crushed under this jackboot.

Do you seriously expect anyone to respond to this statement without laughing? Crushed under a jackboot? Manifestation of white privilege? What!? It's a fantasy movie! What I find really disturbing is that there is so much irrational anger and hatred in the world directed against whites by bitter souls that, I am convinced, really cannot stand even the continued existence of whites. A century of racist Marxist propaganda in poor foreign countries will do that. You implicate the entire white race as guilty parties in the crime of racism because a few rich people in California want to make a movie you don't like. That is absurd. Please, go back to reading your copy of The Wretched of the Earth. If you need me, I'll probably be admiring my pretty European features in the mirror, or throwing darts at the portrait of Bruce Lee in my Asian Fetish cave. After all, I am so blind to myself. I'm just a stupid white person. Please, educate me, oh wise foreign master! ...You know, I've got a chip on my shoulder too. It's all this modern bleeding heart bull about whites having to apologize to every foreigner who thinks himself wronged for being born outside of the Caucasian clique. If you want your race to be strong, be strong. Don't try everything in your power to weaken my people to make up for your imaginary/perceived inferiority. You want an Avatar movie starring East Asian actors? Work your ass off, convert to Judaism (that's a joke), become a Hollywood producer (maybe not so much a joke, then, eh? ), and fund your own damn movie. Nobody cares about your whining; if they do, they shouldn't.